title: Optimized pregelatinized starch technique for cell block preparation in cell cultures.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to optimize the pregelatinized starch technique for cell block preparation and apply this approach in cultured cells of all types of growing forms, suspension and adherent. In order to evenly mix the starch powder and the cell suspension, we crafted a special plastic dropper. To prove the effectiveness of this optimized technique we used different cell lines, NCI-H69, NCI-H345, HCT-116, SKBR3 and MDA-MB-231. The morphology features, immunocytochemistry (ICC) and fluorescent/chromogenic in-situ hybridization (FISH/CISH) on the cell block sections were evaluated. The morphology features, the ICC and ISH results of cell block sections prepared by the new method were satisfactory comparing with the results obtained in biopsies, the gold standard test for this kind of analysis. The most attractive advantage of our optimized pregelatinized starch technique is that this new method is based on cell suspensions instead of cell sediment, so with our technique every section will contain cells due to the even distribution of the starch powder and the cells forming a homogeneous cell block. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first description on cell block preparation based on cell suspension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of TCM, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, 111 Dade Road, Guangzhou 510120, China; Guangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, 111 Dade Road, Guangzhou 510120, China.
authors.forename: Ya-Zhen
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Feng-Yun
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Wei-Ping
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhen-Dong
authors.initials: ZD
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Hong-Guang
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Qing-Lian
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Guang-Juan
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D005780:Gelatin; D016591:Histocytological Preparation Techniques; D006801:Humans; D013213:Starch
chemical_list: D005780:Gelatin; D013213:Starch
keywords: Cell block; Cultured cell; Pregelatinized starch